Hawley introduces Taiwan Weapons Exports Act

WASHINGTON (KFVS) - Today Senator Josh Hawley introduced the Taiwan Weapons Exports Act, which would speed up the delivery of critical weapons to Taiwan by expediting Congressional approval and eliminating administrative roadblocks.

Senator Hawley says deterring an invasion is ensuring Taiwan has the weapons it needs to defend itself, including naval mines, anti-tank missiles, man-portable air defense systems, and other asymmetric defense capabilities.

The Taiwan Weapons Exports Act would:

Re-designate Taiwan as a member of Country Group A:5 under the Export Administration Regulations alongside other U.S. allies and partners, including NATO member states, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and India.
Expedite licensing approval and remove other administrative barriers for arms sales to Taiwan.
Reduce the length of Congressional review of arms sales to Taiwan by half.

Senator Hawley has also introduced two other critical pieces of Taiwan-related legislation: the Taiwan Defense Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Defense to prioritize strengthening deterrence by ensuring American forces maintain their ability to defeat a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and the Taiwan Preclearance Act, which affirms Taiwan’s role as a critical partner in the pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific and establishes U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance facilities in Taiwan as a way to increase U.S.-Taiwan business, cultural, and tourism exchanges.

View full legislative text of the Taiwan Weapons Exports Act here.